Connecting unit for the completion equipment of a producing underwater well

ABSTRACT

A connecting unit located between each production tubing and the associated head valve and wing flow line, this unit being provided with a housing whereinto open through separate apertures the tubing, the head valve and the flow line and which contains a rotatable element. This element is provided with a first duct adapted to connect the tubing with the flow line in a first position of the rotatable element and a second duct adapted to connect the tubing with the head valve in a second position of the rotatable element.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Jacques Harbonn .Iouars Ponchertrain; Andre Casteh, Mesnll le Rol, both 01, France [211 Appl. No. 815,685 221 Filed Apr. 14, 1969 [45] Patented July 27, 1971 [73] Assignee Institut Francois du Petrole Des Carburants Et Lubrifiants 32 Priority Jan. 19, 1967 [3 3] France [31] PV 91850 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 698,605, Jan. 17, 1968, now abandoned.

[54] CONNECTING UNIT FOR THE COMPLETION EQUIPMENT OF A PRODUCING UNDERWATER WELL 8 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs.

[52] 11.5. CI l66/.5, 166/ 89 [51] Int. Cl ..E2Ib 33/035 [50] Field ol'Search l66/75,88,

Primary Examiner-Marvin A. Champion Assistant ExaminerRichard E. Favreau Attorney-Craig, Antonelli, Stewart and Hill ABSTRACT: A connecting unit located between each production tubing and the associated head valve and wing flow line, this unit being provided with a housing whereinto open through separate apertures the tubing, the head valve and the flow line and which contains a rotatable element.

This element is provided with a first duct adapted to connect the tubing with the flow line in a first position of the rotatable element and a second duct adapted to connect the tubing with the head valve in a second position of the rotatable element.

IN VEN 70/73 JACQUES HARBO/V/V ANDRE CASTELA SHEETIUFG FIG] PATENTEDJuL27|9n PATENTEUJULZYIQY: 3.595.311

SHEET 3 UF 6 INVENTOR S flaw/Es HARBoN/V 4 ANDRE CASTELA 0 W V M ATTORNEYS PATENTED m2? 191% SHEET 0F 6 INVENTOR S FIGB JAcGuES HARBoN/V 4nd ANDRE CASTELA M, W M v M ATTORNEYS SHEET 5 [If 6 by Q I J'ACGHAES HARBONN and ANDA'I; CASTELA M W ATTORNE PATENTH] JUL 27 IHYI SHEET 8 [IF 6 FIG .11

INVENTOR') J'ALIQUES HAKBoNN and ANDRE CASTELA 6. W; Jawd M ATTORNEYj CONNECTING UNIT FOR THE COMPLETION EQUIPMENT OF A PRODUCING UNDERWATER WELL This application is acontinuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 698,605,filed Jan. 17, 1968, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a connecting unit for the completion equipment or Christmas tree of a producing underwater oil well, adapted to connect wing flow lines with the production tubings of this well and permitting to introduce into these tubings servicing tools or instruments of various types, for example scraping tools or measuring instruments (such as pressure sensing instruments) either through the top of the well or through the wing flow lines, whereby the introduction of such tools or instruments through the top of the well can be achieved without interrupting the production of the well.

It is known to provide underwater oil wells with a production head having one or several production tubings (frequently two) each of which is connected with a wing flow line conveying the fluid produced by the well, between two valves, or more exactly between two couples of valves placed on the tubings (master valves and head valves, the latter being located at a higher level than the master valves).

in order to permit introducing servicing tools or measuring instruments into the production tubings of the well under the level of the master valves without it being each time necessary to position a servicing equipment over the Christmas tree, it is usual to provide an arrangement for tangentially connecting each flow line with the associated production tubing, including a loop which runs upwardly from its point of connection with the tubing and then extends downwardly toward the water bottom whereon the flow line lies and runs toward a collecting station.

By providing this loop with a sufficiently high radius of curvature and using tools or instruments formed of elements hinged together it is then possible to perform the introduction of these tools or instruments into the production tubings by pumping them from the collecting station through the flow lines, which is achieved by applying to the fluid at the collecting station a high counterpressure forcing back into the well the fluid produced by the latter and also the tool or instrument which is to be introduced into the well. This counterpressure is maintained all the time the tool or instrument has to stay in the well.

The return to the collecting station of a tool or instrument thus introduced into a production tubing is obtained by cutting off the counterpressure at this collecting station, the tool being then carried by the liquid effluent from the well to the station, following the flow line which is connected with the production tubing whereinto the tool was previously introduced.

'In order to avoid that, during this operation of recovering a tool or instrument, the latter, when rising in the production tubing, enters that part of the tubing located just under the head valves above the point where the tubing is connected with the flow line, instead of forking into this flow line, it is usual to place a removable plug in each production tubing, just above its point of connection with the associated flow line.

This plug is bevelled at its lower part so as to provide for tangential connection both with the production tubing and with its associated flow line.

This avoids any wrong orientation recovering thereof.

When however tools or instruments introduced into a production tubing remain jammed therein or also when the tools or instruments to be introduced into a tubing are of a structure preventing their introduction through the flow lines, it is necessary to work directly over the Christmas tree.

The introduction through the top of the wellhead of such special tools or of instruments for fishings tools jammed within a tubing can only be performed after having withdrawn the above-described removable plug, the removing thereof requiring long and difficult operations.

of the tools during the The invention obviates these drawbacks by providing a connecting unit between a production tubing and the associated flow line, which prevents the use of a removable plug for the tubing.

Some nonlimitative embodiments of the invention will be described hereinunder in detail, with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a production head for a submerged oil well with two production tubings, provided with a connecting unit according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows more in detail in the case of a well with only one production tubing, an embodiment of the unit according to the invention, wherein a control of the head valve in synchronism with the rotation of the barrel or drum according to the invention is achieved through mechanical means.

The part of this figure located on the left side of the axis xy of the barrel corresponds to an axial section by a plane containing the axis of the longitudinal duct 21 (section along lines ab, a'b of FIG. 3) and the part of the figure located on the right side of the axis xy corresponds to a section by a plane containing the central line of the incurved duct 24 (section along lines cd, c'd' ofFIG. 3).

FIG. 3 is a separate view of the barrel used in the unit of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows another type of barrel which may be used.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a barrel having the shape of a cylindrical sector, which is also suitable.

FIG. 6 diagrammatically illustrates another embodiment of the connecting unit according to the invention.

FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of this unit taken along the plane defined by the axis of the production tubing and by the axis of the wing flow line, in the first position of the rotatable element or barrel.

FIG. 8 illustrates the corresponding view in the second position of this rotary element.

FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 illustrate two modifications of the preceding embodiment.

FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the bypass means which provides for the continuation of the production in the second position of the barrel.

In the drawings, the same reference numerals have been used to designate the same elements.

In FIG. 1 is illustrated a production head or Christmas tree for an underwater oil well, provided with a connecting unit according to the invention.

In this figure, the reference numeral 1 indicates the water bottom, 2 and 3 designate two production tubings of the well which are conventionally provided with the two master valves 4 and 5 (generally, each tubing is rather provided with two superposed master valves, on grounds of safety).

With these two tubings are connected the two associated wing flow lines 6 and 7 for conveying the fluid produced by the well to a gathering or collecting station which is not shown on the figure.

Each tubing and the associated flow line are connected between the master valve 4, 5 which is located at the highest level on the tubing and a head valve 8, 9 located in the extension of the tubing, on a duct 10, 1] which opens out at the top 12 of the production head.

With each head valve 8, 9 is generally associated a second valve on grounds of safety. In order not to complicate the figures, only one head valve has been shown on each tubing.

The flow lines 6 and 7 follow, between the water bottom 1 and their point of connection with the tubing, a loop of large radius of curvature (usually greater than 1.50 meter) so as to be tangentially connected with the associated tubing, thereby permitting to introduce into each tubing suitable conventional tools or instruments by pumping them from the gathering station, in the manner described in the introductive part of this specification.

The flow lines 6 and 7 are provided with the usual wing valves 13 and 14.

A connecting unit 15 according to the invention is located in the Christmas tree between the higher master valve of each tubing and the lower head valve of this tubing.

The unit includes (FIGS. 1 and 2) for each production tubing, such as the tubing 3, a drum or barrel l6 rotatably mounted in a cylindrical housing 17 of the unit 15 around an axis xy parallel to the axis st of the tubing 3 and offset with respect to this axis.

The production tubing 3 has an opening 18 on the base of the housing 17 and the flow line 7 connected with the mouthpiece 19 of the unit according to the invention has an opening on the lateral wall of the cylindrical housing 17 (opening 20).

The head valve 9 communicates with the upper part of the housing 17 through the opening 18a.

The drum includes (FIGS. 2 and 3) a duct 21 provided with an opening 22, 23 on each base, parallel to the rotation axis xy of the drum and located at a distance from the axis xy equal to the distance between the axes st and xy.

The drum also includes an incurved duct 24 having an opening 25 on the lower base of the drum at the same distance from the axis xy than the opening 22 and an opening 26 on the lateral wall ofthe drum, at the same level as the opening 20.

Under these conditions, the drum 16 can be displaced by a simple rotation around its axis xy, from a first position (shown by FIG. 2) in which the flow line 7 communicates with the tubing 3 through the duct 24, into a second position in which the tubing 3 is connected through the rectilinear duct 21 with the top valve 9 and with the duct 11 which extends the tubing 3.

The incurved duct 24 is so designed as to tangentially connect this duct with the tubing 3 and the flow line 7 in the first position of the drum, with a radius of curvature sufficient to permit the passage through this duct of conventional servicing tools or instruments introduced by pumping.

As already indicated the radius of the duct 24 will preferably be greater than 1.50 meter, for permitting the passage of most tools or instruments of the types now conventionally used, this value constituting however no absolute limitation of the invention.

This connecting unit includes, for each couple head valvedrum, means for simultaneous remote control of the actuation of the head valve 9 and of the rotation of the drum, said means being adapted to make the closed position of the head valve (FIG. 2) correspond to the first position of the drum and to make the open position of the head valve 9 correspond to the second position of the drum.

This control means will include the usual electric or hydraulic (as in the embodiment of FIG. 2) actuating unit of the head valve 9, supplied with energy and controlled through a cable or a flexible hose, with electric, hydraulic or mechanical means, this actuating unit being adapted to the rotation of the drum 16 by the actuation of the head valve.

In the diagram of FIG. 1, the actuating units 27 and 28 of the head valves 8 and 9 have being shown located outside the Christmas tree to make the drawing clearer, whereas they are generally included in this Christmas tree.

Power lines (cables or hoses) 29, 30 supply these actuating units with the necessary electric or hydraulic energy for their actuation in either direction (closing or opening).

These two lines are, as the pipes 6 and 7, connected with the station gathering the production of the well, this station being for example located on shore.

In the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 2 of the unit according to the invention, the head valve 9, shown in its closed psition to which corresponds the first position of the drum I6 is ofa rotatable hydraulically controlled type, the rotation of the plug of this valve in either direction being obtained by admitting hydraulic fluid onto either side of piston 31 coupled to the plug of the valve by a crank-lever system.

In this embodiment the head valve 9 is housed in the connecting unit of the invention, but this valve might as well not be a part of said unit either for the sake of convenience in the manufacturing of this valve and of this unit or in order to provide an unit according to the invention which can readily be adapted to various types of available head valves.

In the illustrative embodiment shown by FIG. 2 the means controlling the rotation of the drum 16 by that of the plug of the valve 9 are purely mechanical and constituted by the cooperation of a toothed pinion 32 and a tangent screw or worm 9a integral with the plug of the valve 9. The pinion 32 drives in rotation a shaft 320 on which are keyed the toothed pinions 34 and 35 which are respectively in mesh with the toothed rings 36 and 37 integral with the drum 16.

The unit according the invention will be designed so that the rotation of the drum from its first position (shown by FIG. 2) to the second position, in which the rectilinear duct 21 comes into alignment with the production tubing 3, does not cause any interruption of the production of the oil well, as well as prevents the tools introduced into the tubing to flow out through the wing flow line.

For this purpose, if the drum 16 is a full cylinder as in the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 2 and 3, a sufficient clearance may be provided between this drum and the wall of its cylindrical housing 17, so that the fluid produced by the well can continue to flow from the tubing 3 to the flow line 7, even when this flow line and this tubing are no longer interconnected through the incurved duct 24.

Moreover a hollow cylinder 38 may optionally be used as a drum, as shown by FIG. 4, this drum being provided on its lateral wall and optionally on its lower base, with openings 39 the size and number of which are sufficient to allow the fluid to flow from the tubing to the pipe 7, even in the second position of the drum, where the communication through the incurved duct 24 is suppressed.

Obviously the drum not necessarily be a full size cylinder but may also be constituted by a cylindrical sector as the drum 40 shown by FIG. 5, which is provided with a toothed sector 41 corresponding to the toothed rings 36 and 37 of the drum 16, for driving in rotation this drum.

The operation of the unit according to the invention is very simple:

1. in the first position of the drum (FIG. 1 and 2) the duct 11 is tightly closed at its lower part by the head valve 9 and the production tubing 3 communicates with the flow line 7 through the incurved duct 24.

The fluids and the tools or instruments can then pass unimpeded from the tubing 3 to the flow line 7 and vice versa.

2. in the second position of the drum placing the rectilinear duct 21 in the extension of the tubing 3, the head valve 9 is open, placing the tubing 3 and the duct 11 in communication, which permits introducing tools into the tubing 3 from the top of the Christmas tree, after removing the cap 42 which covers this Christmas tree (FIG. 1), whereby this introduction may be achieved by means of conventional devices used for this purpose in connection with underwater oil wells.

In FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 which diagrammatically illustrate another embodiment of the connecting unit according to the invention, only one production tubing of the underwater well has been shown and the means for rotating the barrel or drum as well as the means for controlling the head valve have not been illustrated so as to make the drawing clearer.

In this embodiment the rotatable element 16 has a horizontal axis (at right angles to the tubing axis), whereas the rotation axis of this drum is parallel to the axis of the tubing in the embodiment illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 2. The orientation and arrangement of the rotation axis of the element 16 relative to the tubing axis will be a matter of choice for those skilled in the art and should by no way be considered as limiting the present invention.

In FIGS. 6 to 8, the reference numeral 3 designates the production tubing of an oil well.

The reference numeral 7 designates a wing pipe connected with the flow line which collects the production of tubing 3 and connected with the latter through a connecting unit 15 according to the invention.

located in a cylindrical housing of the unit 15, whereinto open the tubing 3, the wing pipe 7 and the pipe 11 through respective openings 3a, 7a, and 11a.

The barrel 16 is provided with two connecting ducts 24 and 21, the first of which connects the tubing 3 with thewing pipe 7 in a first position of the barrel illustrated by FIGS. 6 and 7, corresponding to the position of closure of the head valve 9.

This first connecting duct 24 provides for a tangential connection of the wing pipe 7 with the tubing 3, with a radius of curvature which is sufficient to making possible the introduction of servicing tools or measuring instruments from the wing pipe 7 into the tubing 3 or vice versa, in a known manner.

The second conducting duct 21 provided through the barrel is adapted to simultaneously come in the extension of tubing 3 and of pipe 11 in a second position of the barrel 16 which is derived from the first position by a rotation of the barrel about its axis xy.

In such an embodiment at least one of the openings of the second connecting duct 21, of the wing pipe 7 and of the pipe 11 in the cylindrical housing of the barrel is widened so as to simultaneously bring tubing 3 into communication with pipe 11 and wing pipe 7 in the second position of barrel 16, this widening being combined with a preferential orientation of duct 21 towards head valve 9.

In the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 6, it is duct 21 which is provided with a widened opening 21a adapted to simultaneously communicate with the opening 7aof theflow line and with the opening 110 of pipe 11 in the cylindrical housing of the barrel, in the second position of the barrel.

Under these conditions, the fluid supplied by the tubing can, in this second position of the barrel, continue to flow into the collecting flow line, while guiding means, which in this embodiment is constituted by the cylindrical part 210 of duct 21, provides in the second position of the barrel for a selective orientation towards the pipe 11 of the tools or instruments which may rise back from the tubing 3.

It would obviously be also possible to achieve the same result by widening one at least of the openings 7a and 11a wherethrough wing pipe 7 and pipe 11 open out into the cylindrical housing of the barrel 16 as in the alternative embodiment of FIG. 9 (this figure showing the barrel 16 in its second position).

FIG. 10 illustrates another embodiment of the invention wherein duct 21 of barrel 16 opens out into the cylindrical housing thereof through two widened openings 21a and 21b, whereinto also opens a bypass duct 43 which provides in the second position of the barrel an additional passage for the fluid supplied by tubing 3 and the flow of which has been indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 10.

As indicated hereinabove, it will be possible in the different embodiments of the invention to provide between the barrel l6 and the wall of its cylindrical housing a clearance facilitating the flowing of the fluid supplied by the tubing towards the collecting flow line, in both positions of the barrel 16.

The head valve may for example be controlled in synchronism with the rotation of the barrel in the previously described manner, as illustrated by FIG. 2.

F IG. 11 illustrates another embodiment in the second position of the barrel, in which tools may rise from the tubing to the top ofthe wellhead.

In this embodiment a channel 44 connecting the pipe 11 and the wing pipe 7 has been provided through the body of the connecting unit itself, this connecting channel allowing the production to continue to flow towards the pipe 7 in the second position of the barrel 16, as indicated by the arrow.

The inclination of this connecting channel 11 with respect to the pipe 11 which extends the tubing 3 will of course be so selected as to make it impossible for tools rising from the tubing to bifurcate into this channel and remain jammed therein.

We claim:

1. Connecting unit for the production head of an underwater well which is provided with at least a production tubing opening out at the top of the production head through at least one pipe provided with at least one head valve, at least one wing pipe connected to a collecting flow line associated with said tubing, wherein between said tubing and said head valve is provided a housing whereinto open said tubing, said wing pipe and said pipe provided with said head valve, said housing containing a rotatable element provided with a first connecting duct adapted to connect said tubing with said wing pipe in a first position of said rotatable element and a second connecting duct adapted to connect said tubing with said pipe provided with said head valve in a second position of said rotatable element.

2. Connecting unit for the production head of an underwater well which is provided with at least a production tubing opening out at the top of the production head through at least one pipe provided with at least one head valve, at least one wing pipe connected to a collecting flow line associated with said tubing, wherein between said tubing and said head valve is provided a housing whereinto open said tubing, said wing pipe and said pipe provided with said head valve, said housing containing a rotatable element provided with a first connecting duct adapted to connect said tubing with said wing pipe in a first position of said rotatable element and a second connecting duct adapted to connect said tubing with said pipe provided with said head valve in a second position of said rotatable element, said connecting unit being provided with means for controlling said head valve in synchronism with the rotation of said rotatable element, so as to make said first position of said rotatable element correspond to the closed position of said head valve and said second position of said rotatable element correspond to the open position of said head valve.

3. Connecting unit for the production head of an underwater oil well which is provided with at least one production tubing opening out at the top of the production head through at least one head valve, a collecting flow line associated with said tubing and an incurved wing pipe tangentially connecting said tubing with said flow line, wherein between said tubing and said head valve is provided a housing wherein is located a rotatable element having an axis parallel to the axis of said tubing and offset with respect thereto, said tubing and said flow line opening out into said housing through apertures respectively located in the lower wall of said housing and in the lateral wall thereof, said housing hav- .ing an upper opening into said head valve, at least one part of said wing pipe being housed inside said rotatable element and being adapted to connect said tubing and said flow line in a fist position of said rotatable element, said rotatable element also carrying a longitudinal pipe adapted to connect said tubing with said upper opening of said housing in a second position of said rotatable element.

4. Connecting unit according to claim 1, provided with bypass means adapted to maintain a communication between said tubing and said wing pipe in said second position of said rotatable element, said communication preventing the interruption of the production in said second position of said rotatable element.

5. Connecting unit according to claim 4, wherein at least one part of said bypass means is constituted by a clearance between the external wall of said rotatable element and the internal wall of said housing, said clearance being suificient to allow the production to flow between said walls.

6. Connecting unit according to claim 4, wherein said rotatable element is hollow and apertures are provided through its walls for the flow of the production.

7. Connecting unit according to claim 4, wherein a bypass channel located outside said rotatable element permanently connects said tubing with said wing pipe.

8. Connecting unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the apertures wherethrough said wing pipe, said pipe provided with said head valve and said second connecting combined with means for selectively guiding towards said head valve tools rising from said tubing through said second connecting duct. 

1. Connecting unit for the production head of an underwater well which is provided with at least a production tubing opening out at the top of the production head through at least one pipe provided with at least one head valve, at least one wing pipe connected to a collecting flow line associated with said tubing, wherein between said tubing and said head valve is provided a housing whereinto open said tubing, said wing pipe and said pipe provided with said head valve, said housing containing a rotatable element provided with a first connecting duct adapted to connect said tubing with said wing pipe in a first position of said rotatable element and a second connecting duct adapted to connect said tubing with said pipe provided with said head valve in a second position of said rotatable element.
 2. Connecting unit for the production head of an underwater well which is provided with at least a production tubing opening out at the top of the production head through at least one pipe provided with at least one head valve, at least one wing pipe connected to a collecting flow line associated with said tubing, wherein between said tubing and said head valve is provided a housing whereinto open said tubing, said wing pipe and said pipe provided with said head valve, said housing containing a rotatable element provided with a first connecting duct adapted to connect said tubing with said wing pipe in a first position of said rotatable element and a second connecting duct adapted to connect said tubing with said pipe provided with said head valve in a second position of said rotatable element, said connecting unit being provided with means for controlling said head valve in synchronism with the rotation of said rotatable element, so as to make said first position of said rotatable element correspond to the closed position of said head valve and said second position of said rotatable element correspond to the open position of said head valve.
 3. Connecting unIt for the production head of an underwater oil well which is provided with at least one production tubing opening out at the top of the production head through at least one head valve, a collecting flow line associated with said tubing and an incurved wing pipe tangentially connecting said tubing with said flow line, wherein between said tubing and said head valve is provided a housing wherein is located a rotatable element having an axis parallel to the axis of said tubing and offset with respect thereto, said tubing and said flow line opening out into said housing through apertures respectively located in the lower wall of said housing and in the lateral wall thereof, said housing having an upper opening into said head valve, at least one part of said wing pipe being housed inside said rotatable element and being adapted to connect said tubing and said flow line in a fist position of said rotatable element, said rotatable element also carrying a longitudinal pipe adapted to connect said tubing with said upper opening of said housing in a second position of said rotatable element.
 4. Connecting unit according to claim 1, provided with bypass means adapted to maintain a communication between said tubing and said wing pipe in said second position of said rotatable element, said communication preventing the interruption of the production in said second position of said rotatable element.
 5. Connecting unit according to claim 4, wherein at least one part of said bypass means is constituted by a clearance between the external wall of said rotatable element and the internal wall of said housing, said clearance being sufficient to allow the production to flow between said walls.
 6. Connecting unit according to claim 4, wherein said rotatable element is hollow and apertures are provided through its walls for the flow of the production.
 7. Connecting unit according to claim 4, wherein a bypass channel located outside said rotatable element permanently connects said tubing with said wing pipe.
 8. Connecting unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the apertures wherethrough said wing pipe, said pipe provided with said head valve and said second connecting duct open out into said housing is so widened as to provide in said second position of said rotatable element for a simultaneous communication of said tubing with said pipe provided with said head valve, and with said wing pipe, said widening being combined with means for selectively guiding towards said head valve tools rising from said tubing through said second connecting duct. 